Designer bulletproof vests to go on sale

With fears of terrorist attacks and stabbings looming large in London, designer bulletproof jackets will be up for sale in Knightsbridge, the city’s exclusive district, next week.

Sellers expect a huge sale given the fact that the sales of armoured cars have risen by 20 per cent in the past two years. Aimed at the super-rich segment of the society, there are many buyers from outside London also.

Roman Abramovich, a Russian billionaire and the owner of Chelsea FC, which has one of the biggest private security operations in the world, is also a prospective buyer of such jackets.

The bulletproof jackets are likely to be a big hit in cities like Manchester, Glasgow and Birmingham, where people want protection from gunmen and car hijackers.

The Bogota-based company, Miguel Cabellero, claims that it's the only bulletproof jacket-maker in the world that mixes style with a reassuring lining of body armour. According to a report, his customers include Prince Felipe of Spain, King Abdullah of Jordan, the actor Stephen Seagal and Hugo Chávez, the president of Venezuela.

Buyers will be choosing from a range of protection levels - the lowest guarantee cover is against handguns and the highest against automatic weapons. The composition of the lining has been kept secret, but it is not the traditional Kevlar body armour.